Placket-fastener



(No Model.) l

- C. F.. LITTLEJOHN.

BLACKBT PASTBNER.

No. 666,276. Patented Aug. 16, 1696.

UNITED STATES ATENT nnrcn.

CHARLES F. LITTLEJOI'IN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

PLACKETFASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 566,270, dated August18, 1896.. Application filed April 15l 1895. Renewed February 17. 1896.Serial No. 579,661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. LITTLE- JOHN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Placket-Fasteners,of which the following is a complete speciiication, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which the invention pertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in fasteners for garments. Itrelates more particularly to fasteners for those garments which have aslit, commonly known as a placket, leading from one edge thereof tofacilitate the ready fitting to or removal of the garment from theperson.

The invention has for its obj ect to provide a simple and efficientmeans of securing together the edges of the garment bordering upon aslit or placket to prevent the accidental separating of the edges of theslit.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby thefastener may be readily attached to the garment, either by hand ormachinery.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and inwhich like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1is a front elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar one showingthe two casings or sections separated. Fig. 3 is an enlargedcross-sectional view.

I am aware that devices have heretofore been devised for accomplishingthe purpose of my invention.

The devices referred to consistI of Y two resilient stiffeners pivotedtogether at their lower ends and are provided with fastening devices forsecuring them together when closed. Usually perforations are formed atdifferent points throughout the length of the stiifeners, through whichthey are sewed to a garment.

Fasteners such as described above have been found objectionable for thereason that as the resilient stiffeners are pivoted together they arecapable of being moved in only one direction with respect to each other,viz., at right angles to the axis of their pivot, and they are oftenbent out of shape in adjusting the garment upon the wearer. Anotherobjectionable feature of these devices is the perforations through whichthey are sewed to the garment, which makesit necessary to sew thefastener by hand. In some of the devices referred to the stiffeners,whenclosed, are superposed, thus not only forming a thick heavy lap at theplacket, but in addition they prevent graceful draping of the garment byreason of their lack of resiliency. It is the aim of my invention toovercome all of these objections, as will fully appear from thefollowing detailed description.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent the two casings or sectionsof fiexible material. In these casings central longitudinal pockets areformed for reception of resilient stiffeners 1 l, which extend from apoint near the bottom of each section to near the top thereof, leavingflexible portions 2 3 at the tops and bottoms, respectively, of thecasings A B. The edges 4 5 of each casing, which eX- tend upon each sideof the resilient stiifeners 1 l, are also left flexible in order thatthe casings may be stitched to the garment.

The two casings A and B are secured together near their lower ends byany suitable means, as by sewing, riveting, &c. I prefer, however, topivot them together, as shown, by means of an eyelet 6, inserted nearthe opposing edges 4 4 of the casings A B at a point just below oradjacent to the lower ends of the resilient stiffeners l l. In additionto securing the casings together the eyelet when located as shown servesto hold the resilient stiffeners against slipping in their pockets. Bypivoting the casings A and B together through the flexible portions 3 3they may, when unfastened, be moved in any direction with respect toeach other. The location of the eyelet 6 near the forward opposing edges4 4 of the casings A B prevents too great overlapping of the casings,permitting them to overlap only for a distance equal to the width of oneof the said edges.

Any suitable means may be used for securing the casings together, but Iprefer to use the form of fastener such as is commonly used on gloves.These fasteners 7 are secured to the edges 4 4 of the casings A B andserve to hold the casings together when closed. The bases of thesefasteners overlap the re- IOO silient stiifeners l l and serve as anadditional means for preventing the longitudinal movement of thestiffeners in their pockets.

The upper ends 2 2 of the casings are secured to or just below thewaistband of a garment, and consequently the garment may be lifted ordrawn to one side Without resistance from the resilient stiffeners l 1.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular means of securing theresilient stiffeners l 1 in the casings A B, nor do l desire to belimited to any specific means of securing the casings together. It willbe understood, also, that any suitable devices for fastening the twocasings A B together may be employed without departing from the scope ofthe invention, since Vhat l claim isl. Aiplacket-fastener comprising twocasn ings of flexible material, stilfeners in said casings, saidstiifeners being smaller than the casings to 'leave extended flexibleportions,

means for securing the casings together through the-extended flexibleportions at a .point adjacent to the lower ends of the cas ings and4fastening devices for securing the casings againstseparation,substantially as described.

2. A'placketfastener comprising two casings of flexible material,stiffcners within said casings, said stieners being narrower than thecasings and arranged to leave the adjacent edges of the casings outlyingand flexible, means for securing the casings together at one end throughthe adjacent flexible edges thereof whereby when the casings are broughttogether said edges will overlap and the stieners in the casings willlie parallel and in substantially the same plane, and fastening devices0n the casings for securing them against separation, substantially asdescribed.

3. A placket-fastener comprising two casings of ieXible material,resilient stiffeners in the casings, said stiffeners being narrower thanthe casings to leave flexible edges, means for securing the casingstogether at one end and fastening devices on the iieXible edges,portions of said fastening devices being arranged tooverlap thestiffeners to hold them against movement within their casings,vsubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed lmy name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. LlrlTlfEJOIlN.

Vitnesses:

HARRIET L. SLAsoN, CHARLES W. MANN.

